NAMI Burn E Review UK

• Capable of blistering 60 mph top speeds
• Leviathan 100 mile range
• Excellent build quality, with a carbon fibre stem and one-piece aluminium frame
• Outrageously quick acceleration rate (fastest acceleration ever recorded)
• Powerful Hydraulic NUTT brakes
• Easily adjustable KKE hydraulic coil-over-shock suspension
• Industry-leading interface with a huge range of P settings
• ‘Turbo’ mode allows you to inject 12% more power for a speed hit
• Multiple water resistance ratings
• Create customized riding modes based on your preferences
• Speed regulated cruise control

 

• CONS:
  • At 46.7 kg, it’s very heavy
  • It has been overbuilt, resulting in its behemoth weight. The upside is increased durability.
  • The exposed wiring at the front of the deck/underside of the neck would be better encased and tucked away for protection.

Value for Money

Is the Price Tag Worth it?

Could I give this scooter a 9.5, without recommending it as having good value for money?

Of course not – so trust me when I say that the Viper is worth even penny. Of course, it’s not cheap – at fifty pounds shy of four thousand pounds, it’s as expensive as a car (not to mention as powerful as one).

So what do you get for your money, exactly?

Well, the Viper’s feature set is unparalleled across the electric scooter industry. With a range of riding modes, a pair of exclusively designed Sine Wave controllers, and the option to customize, you absolutely get what you pay for. Topping its closest competitors in the crucial metrics of acceleration and range (and, might I add, comprehensively so), the Viper has come, seen, and conquered the ultra-performance scooter market.

So yes – this one’s worth breaking the bank for.

Design

Handlebars

Given the NAMI Burn-e’s hulking, imposing frame (which I’ll get to in just a second), I was surprised to note how narrow its handlebars were – particularly in relation to other scooters of its class.

At 24.4 inches wide, the Viper’s handlebars are more than three inches shy of those flaunted by the VSETT 11+ (27.5 inches), and also fall just short of those on the Wolf Warrior (24.6 inches), as well as the now-discontinued Dualtron X (24.8 inches). Somewhat counter-intuitively, the length of the Viper’s handlebars is also outstripped by scooters with lower specs and fewer features, such as the Zero 10X and Apollo Pro (26.7 inches apiece), and the Varla Eagle One (25.5 inches).

The reason I mention all this is that – normally, at least – the width of a scooter’s handlebars can affect the levels of handling and comfort a rider enjoys, in addition to the amount of control you feel you have over the scooter. Despite this, the Viper proves to be a highly enjoyable ride, despite the slightly slimmer span of its handlebars.

Plus, what the Viper’s handlebars lack in size, they make up for in the spread of features and functionality they offer. In the centre, you’ll find the Viper’s calculating brain – that is, its industry-leading water-resistant smart display.

From here, you can view your speed and the total distance you’ve travelled, plus a basic visualization of your Viper’s battery life. You can also use this screen to toggle between the Viper’s five riding modes – including the supercharged ‘Turbo’ mode, for extra fun and fried nerves – as well as access a whole bunch of other settings, such as the strength of the Viper’s dual motors, and the intensity of its regenerative brake. But more on that later.

Elsewhere on the Viper’s handlebars, you’ll be able to squeeze its pair of hand-operated hydraulic brakes, and – over to the right-hand side – toot its motorcycle-grade horn.

On this flank, there are buttons that activate the scooter’s turn signals and turn on its 2000 lumen headlight. The thumb throttle is also located here, sitting beneath the right handgrip. To the left-hand side of the Viper’s handlebars, you’ll find another panel of buttons: one turns the scooter on/off, while the others help you select the mode, and tinker with a range of other features.

Finally, the Viper’s handlebars are just… extremely comfortable. With a moulded shape designed to help alleviate the demands on your posture on long journeys – plus a pair of supple ergonomic rubber grips – you’ll enjoy getting the most out of the Viper’s 100 mile maximum range.

Frame

Wow. Just…wow.

This thing is an absolute beast. With a matte-black, industrial design, the NAMI Burn-e feels like it’s stepped straight out of a dystopian movie, and brought a sliver of a dark, brooding future back with it.

With a carbon fibre stem and fierce-looking girders of aviation-grade aluminium fused in a one-piece frame, the Viper has a visual impact that befits its commanding range of features, and industry-leading specs. In fact, it shares a considerable amount of its look and feel with the Dualtron range – particularly the formidable frame of the 66 kg X II.

There’s even something wonderfully sinister about the Viper’s powerful lighting setup. With an uber-bright headlight, turn signals, and strips of lighting – which, embedded into the sides of the Viper’s deck, seem to be imprisoned by the metal bars of the scooter’s frame – you’ll be both impressing and terrifying onlookers when you take this bad boy out after dark.

And, though it’s a little disappointing that there isn’t a range of colours to choose from, I almost think that black is the only palette that would suit the insidious, implacable image the Viper’s frame exudes.

Deck

If you’re imagining the NAMI Burn-e’s deck as – in any way, shape, or form – resembling the slim, narrow platform of a conventional commuter scooter, think again.

This thing is titanic and easily large enough to strike a wide, comfortable stance on – heck, you could probably host a baseball game on this thing. And, it's no wonder the Viper’s deck is this huge – it houses a behemoth 72V 35Ah Panasonic battery.

Adorning the deck’s centre is the NAMI logo (but done in a classy, rather than garish way), flanked by two thin strips of grip tape. While these dual columns of sandpapery-type material do a decent job, I’d still prefer to see the whole deck coated in a grippy surface – whether that’s rubber, silicone, or just grip tape. However, the design NAMI has gone with still does the job – so I’ll give it a pass.

Embedded along each side of Viper’s deck is a strip of LED lighting that also serves as the scooter’s turn signals. At the rear end, the deck raises to form a handle. This allows you to get a strong grip on the scooter when it comes to lifting it but also serves as a kickplate when riding – allowing you to extend your stance, and lean into the ride for extra control and stability at the top speeds. Handy.

Wheels

Arriving out-of-the-box with a pair of 11-inch tubeless tyres, the NAMI Burn-e doesn’t mess around. These things are stunning, super-sized, and – thanks to their air-filled, rather than solid nature – shock absorptive, too.

Though the Viper has been engineered to cope with all kinds of terrain, the tyres it comes with are tailor-made to traverse flatter, more compact urban surfaces. If you plan to use your Viper pretty much exclusively for aggressive dirt tracks and forest trails, I’d recommend purchasing an extra set of knobby, gnarly off-road tyres built for exactly that.

Build Quality & Durability

The NAMI Burn-e hasn’t been designed for top speeds and range only to fall apart when you try and hit them. Nope, this scooter is the real deal, with a high-quality build, design, and components that give even the Dualtron range a run for its money.

Take the Viper’s one-piece aluminium welded frame, for instance. Not only is this material aviation-grade, but it's been heat-treated to help safeguard it from age and wear and tear. The Viper’s stem also deviates from the norms of the electric scooter world, with Michael (the maker) having opted to use carbon fibre, rather than the more standard SCM400 (a kind of carbon chromium alloy steel).

Plus, the aluminium exoskeleton chassis is made up of tubing that has been reinforced with a crossed (x-shaped) aluminium inner that runs through the tubes. This is just one of the features that make the frame unique to the scooter.

With polished stainless steel relied on for some of the Viper’s more technical moving parts – such as its folding mechanism – the Viper doesn’t only offer up a dynamic design, but cuts a thoroughly durable, dependable figure, too.

The only areas for improvement are:

• If the scooter was fitted with a steering damper. Similar to that on Dualtron’s top models, a steering damper would increase control at high speeds.
• If the exposed wiring at the front of the deck/underside of the neck was encased and tucked away it would be more protected.

Considering everything this scooter has to offer, these are minor improvements in the bigger picture. Think of them as more value-added improvements.

Weight & Load

The scooters I outlined in the ‘ultra-performance’ category tend to vary wildly in terms of the features they offer. One area in which they don’t differ all that much, however, is how much they weigh.

As you can see, most of the scooters in the Burn-e’s bracket weigh a very similar amount. The only real outlier is the earth-shaking bulk of the Dualtron X II, which – at 66 kg – doesn’t tip the scales, but obliterates them.

Against this backdrop, weight probably isn’t going to be a deciding factor when it comes to picking the Burn-e over the Dualtron Storm, Wolf Warrior, or Wolf King. They’re all massively heavy, so what difference is one or two kilograms going to make?

Since the release of the scooter, Michael has, however, been working on new prototypes of the chassis which weigh just 2.8 kg vs the 5.8 kg that the chassis currently weighs. So, keep your eyes peeled for a potential lighter model in the future.

The Viper can support a total rider weight of up to 150 kg. This puts it on a par with many a laudable scooter in the industry, including the Wolf Warrior, Apollo Pro 60V Ludicrous, and more.

The only scooters in our database to outrank the 150 kg of the Viper are the EMOVE Cruiser (160 kg), and Kaabo’s Wolf King (181 kg).

Folding & Portability

There are no folding handlebars on the NAMI Burn-e. This is one area where, perhaps, some Dualtron scooters outclass it – but the Viper still has plenty to offer in the way of folding functionality.

The Viper folds at the base of the stem via a brand-new, patented lock taper folding mechanism. Surprisingly, it is extremely easy to use. You simply loosen the quick release lever, spin the mechanism until it is no longer threaded, and then you can fold the stem.

If there’s a caveat I can add to this section, it’s the extent to which the Viper can truly be called ‘portable’. At 46.7 kg, it’s one of the heaviest electric scooters money can buy, and closer to the weight of a light moped than a conventional commuter scooter (the maximum weight of which I place at around 19 kg).

Even Michael said that the Burn-e has been overbuilt and originally thought it would be lighter.

In other words, it’s unlikely you’ll be purchasing the Viper to shuttle you to and from the office on weekdays, or as a ‘last mile’ commuter solution – it doesn’t exactly lend itself to being hauled up flights of stairs, being packed into lifts, or lifted on and off trains or buses. However, its compact nature when folded does mean that the Viper can be transported in the boot of cars (with the back seats laid down), or packed tidily away in your garage.

And to clear any confusion, when I say its “compact nature”, I am comparing it to the Wolf King and Warrior, both of which are difficult to fold and get longer when collapsed. For reference, when folded, both wolf models measure as long as a small person if they were to lay down (equivalent to 59 inches or 4 ft 9).

Assembly

The NAMI Burn-e comes pretty much fully assembled right out of the box. You’ll just have to fix the stem in place, and use the included bank of Allen wrenches to mount – and then tighten – the handlebars. If in doubt, follow the instructions in the manual that arrives with the box – you can’t go wrong.

One other noteworthy thing when it comes to the Viper’s packaging is that it eschews the typically-used Styrofoam, in favour of thick corrugated cardboard. This is great for several reasons, but most prominently in terms of sustainability – Styrofoam is an absolute pain to recycle, after all.

The Viper’s robust cardboard packaging also makes less mess when you’re unboxing it. If you’ve ever had to deal with cleaning up a garage full of fragments of white plastic, you will know the struggle (especially with the number of scooters that we review). Yet I must confess, there’s another, much more selfish, reason I love not having to deal with Styrofoam packaging… I’ll no longer have to grit my teeth and cringe painfully as it makes that terrible squeaking sound.

Ride Quality

Is the NAMI Burn-e Comfortable to Ride?

In a nutshell, yes – the Burn-e is as comfortable to ride as they come.

As I’ll get to shortly in the ‘Performance and Safety’ section, the Viper’s 165mm hydraulic coil-shocks offer more insulation from the idiosyncrasies of rough surfaces than any other scooter.

What’s more, this suspension is completely adjustable. By tinkering with the rebound settings of the Viper’s KKE hydraulic suspension, you can control the rate at which its coil-over-shocks bounce back from impact. This allows the Viper to tackle pretty much any surface – whether urban or off-road – with the utmost ease.

Of course, we can’t leave out the contributions from the Viper’s enormous 11-inch tubeless tyres, can we? With all the technicalities of those KKE hydraulic coil-shocks hogging the plaudits, it’s easy to overlook how crucial the Viper’s air-filled – rather than solid – tyres are to its overall levels of rider comfort and experience.

Even putting the Viper’s classy suspension setup aside for a moment, it’s easy to see why this thing is so comfortable to ride. With enough room to host a banquet – let alone stand – on, the Viper’s deck is one of the biggest I’ve seen. Plus, with wide handlebars, strong lighting, and top-of-the-shelf braking all adding extra layers of rider confidence into the mix, the Viper isn’t only a comfortable ride – it’s a safe one, too.

What’s more, you can customize the Nami to your exact riding preferences. You either tinker with top-level settings like how fast the acceleration rate is or go as far as to create a customized riding mode that is primed for your environment. For example, if you’re going to be riding in a hilly area you could change the configuration of the motors to have more power running to the front motor to help pull you up hills as opposed to pushing you up using the rear motor. Then, if you fancy a stint of road racing, you can set both motors with maximum power for the highest levels of torque and acceleration.

Performance & Safety

Speed & Acceleration

Capable of hitting top speeds of up to 60 mph, the Viper is one of the fastest scooters money can buy.

So, let’s see how that pace stacks up against similarly-priced models.

Speed vs Price Comparison

Taking a £1,500 price range with the Viper’s £3,950 in the middle, there are only two other comparable models: the Dualtron Storm, and the Dualtron Ultra II.

Of the three, the Viper has the slowest top speed (at least, that stated by the manufacturer). However – when we dig a little deeper into overall performance – we can see that the Viper has a significantly faster acceleration rate. Since the Viper only loses out speed-wise to the Storm and Ultra II by just 2 mph, the scooter represents the best deal when it comes to the full package – that is, blistering speed, but with a rapid acceleration rate to match.

Speed vs Weight Comparison

Again taking a margin of comparison – but this time applying it to the Viper’s weight, rather than its price – we can compare the scooter’s maximum velocity to the most analogous models on the market. As it turns out, there are three within that 44.2 to 49.2 kg price range – the Dualtron Storm, the Wolf King, and the Wolf Warrior.

Unsurprisingly, the Dualtron Storm’s sensational stacks of speed mean it emerges on top. As for the Burn-e, it shares its top speed with the Wolf King, while easily topping the 50 mph that the Wolf Warrior is capable of.

As I mentioned in the Speed vs Price comparison, the Viper’s strong suit is acceleration. It’s the best accelerator out of all the models here, and – despite not excelling beyond the Storm as far as top speed is concerned – it will still get you to those 60 mph heights quicker than those scooters will. I’ll unpack why the Viper’s acceleration is so good in the ‘Acceleration’ section up next.

I should note here, though, that – despite not quite matching the Viper when it comes to acceleration, or extra features – the Wolf King is still a fantastic alternative. Offering the same top speed and better load-bearing capabilities, the King is also easier on your wallet, costing you £1,051 less.

You can explore my review of the Wolf King here, to find out whether it’s right for you.

Acceleration

Okay, let’s be real – was a scooter with huge 1500W dual motors, a pair of Sine Wave 50Ah controllers, a Turbo mode (which injects 12% more power for an exhilarating injection of pace), and peak 8400W power output ever going to struggle with acceleration?

The answer, of course, is no – so it doesn’t come as any surprise that the Viper is the king of acceleration.

Of course, that even includes the Viper’s closest competitors. For context, its peak output is a whole 25% greater than the 6640W offered by the Dualtron Storm, and a colossal 56% better than the Wolf Warrior’s 5400W. And, stop the press – it’s even bigger than the Dualtron X II’s 8300W peak output. Remember, that scooter costs just shy of a budget-shattering £5,300 – so this is no small feat.

What these impressive numbers amount to is that the Viper can hit 15 mph 11% faster than the Wolf King and Wolf Warrior, and a whole 29% quicker than the Dualtron Storm. And, as that speed increases, so too does the gulf between the Viper and, well… everybody else.

The Viper hits speeds of 25 mph, for example, 17% faster than the Wolf King, 19% quicker than the Dualtron Storm, and 23% pacier than the Wolf Warrior.

Take a look at how the Viper’s scorching acceleration rate fries its so-called ‘competitors’ in the table above.

Fast, ruthless, and unstoppable – the Viper has more in common with its namesake than I first thought.

Range

Thanks to what can only be described as an enormous 72V 35Ah Panasonic battery, the NAMI Burn-e can hit distances of up to a staggering 100 miles off a single charge.

Now, you probably don’t need any additional context to appreciate how incredible a 100 mile range is – but I’m going to give you some anyway. Let’s take a look at how the Viper’s mileage stacks up against its closest rivals when it comes to price and weight.

Mileage vs Price Comparison

As we discovered in the ‘Speed vs Price’ section above, of all the models within £750 on either side of the Viper’s £3,950 price tag, only two emerge as comparable. To be expected we have the same two Dualtron models for this comparison, but things are a little different.

In the Price vs Speed comparison, the Storm and Ultra 2 both beat out the Viper for top speed – but when it comes to mileage, the Viper flips the script. This time, the Viper emerges top of the pile, crushing both Dualtron models.

The key difference here is that the Viper boasts dual 50Ah Sine Wave controllers. By pulling battery power more efficiently the Viper can deliver a longer range.

The Dualtron Storm, by contrast, sports a smaller 72V 31.5Ah LG battery – so, to nobody’s surprise, it ends up bottom of our comparison chart when it comes to mileage.

Mileage vs Weight Comparison

Renewing our 44.2 to 49.2 kg weight bracket from earlier, let’s see how the Viper’s three competitors – the Wolf King, Warrior, and Dualtron Storm – all measure up.

Well, there’s no contest – the Viper, once again, steals the show, laying claim to the longest range (100 miles).

In its weight division, the Viper flaunts 25% more range than the Storm’s 80 miles, and double that of the Wolf King, which closes up the pack.

Hill Climbing

Ride and Glide – the best place to buy the NAMI Burn-e in the UK – doesn’t advertise the scooter’s hill-climbing capabilities openly. However, I can attest to its ability to tackle 35-degree inclines. There’s no hill in the world that this beast can’t climb – it doesn’t even break a sweat on anything up to 20 degrees.

Make no mistake – hill-climbing credentials of this kind are very hard to come by, even in the spec-saturated world of high and ultra-performance electric scooters.

While the Viper’s gradient-gobbling capacity is matched by the Dualtron X II, it blows pretty much all other scooters of its ilk out of the water. That includes the rest of the Dualtron range, all Speedway models, and even names such as the Apollo 60V Ludicrous, a scooter renowned for its hill climbing calibre.

Shock Absorption / Suspension

With a pair of adjustable 165mm hydraulic coil-shocks, the NAMI Burn-e has been specifically engineered to provide superlative levels of shock absorption.
Like the snake this scooter is named after – whose habitats range from mountains and fields to rainforests and deserts – the Viper can go anywhere.

The Viper’s KKE hydraulic coil-over-shocks also offer rebound adjustment. This type of suspension was originally a motocross invention and has been designed to offer you greater levels of control and comfort while traversing a wide variety of terrain. In brief, it allows you to tinker with how quickly your Viper’s shocks ‘bounce back’.

Despite the shock system, itself, being complex, no other suspension system comes close to how easy and intuitive it is to adjust. Unlike other scooters, no tool (C Spanner/Wrench) is needed. You simply dial in the amount of damping you want. Even new riders will get to grips with it quickly. It is brilliant.

Here’s why it’s so important that the Viper allows you to adjust rebound damping:

You can think of suspension in two facets – compression and rebound. You can’t have one without the other and both rely on each other. Compression damping helps the suspension to absorb bumps as your wheels roll over obstacles and move upwards. Rebound damping, on the other hand, helps the suspension to return to its original position after compression. Ultimately, rebound damping is used to regulate and control the speed at which the shock absorbers bounce back and therefore, is vital for a smooth ride.

So, in the case of the Viper, the hydraulic rebound damping relies on oil moving through a circuit to regulate the speed at which the suspension extends after being compressed. Without the ability to customize it, if your rebound is set to being too low then your expensive electric scooter is going to turn into a glorified pogo stick (i.e. the shock coming out of the shock absorber body will fire out as opposed to being controlled and dampened).

Ultimately, the Viper’s industry-leading suspension has been designed for rider comfort – which it delivers in spades. Its adjustable configuration and the extent to which you can customize it for less reliable terrain make it one of the finest scooter selections for off-road enthusiasts. Just remember your helmet.

One other area that deserves attention is the swingarms which have been forged from aluminium as opposed to being cast. Not only do they have a better surface finish than cast swingarms, but because aluminium forgings show mechanical properties that make their strength-to-weight ratio far superior to that of castings, they are more durable, too.

Braking

While the NAMI Burn-e’s dual hydraulic disc brakes are something we’d certainly expect from an ultra-performance scooter of its ilk, that doesn’t make them any less impressive to appreciate – and to use.

The Viper’s brilliant braking setup – which, to get technical, is made up of NUTT hydraulic brakes, with 160mm discs – is very sharp and well-calibrated. So much so, that you’ll want to apply only the lightest of touches when it comes to using them. Because applying the brakes cuts the Viper’s formidable motors, it’s likely you’ll end up coming to a stop faster than expected – so keep that in mind.

If the NUTT disc braking setup looks familiar to some of you seasoned ultra-performance scooter enthusiasts out there, that’s because it is. The Viper shares the same braking arrangement with the Dualtron Ultra II – the dedicated scooter for off-road riding in Dualtron’s lineup. These brakes are also similar to those on the Storm, although MiniMotors opted to manufacture their own proprietary brake discs for this model.

What this means for the Viper is that – unlike the Storm – it’s easy to upgrade the brakes, should you want to. Magura brakes, for instance (which are some of the most powerful on the market, and tend to outperform those of the NUTT variety in tests, and when it comes to maintenance) can be easily slotted into the Viper.*

The Viper’s hydraulic brakes are also supported by a regenerative brake, which kicks in after you engage the mechanical brakes. Essentially, this tech force-feeds the kinetic energy generated by the stopping process back into the battery – allowing you to not only brake more effectively but also conserve your scooter’s juice to hit its maximum range.

Predictably, there are five strength settings to the Viper’s regenerative brake, and you can toggle between these via the industry-leading interface located at the centre of its handlebars.

Overall, this type of braking system is just about the best you can get. It also demonstrates that the NAMI Burn-e – and its creator, Michael Sha – aren’t solely focussed on speed and distance, but with safety, too.

*In recent interviews with Michael, he explained that we may see Magura brakes on future NAMI models. The only reason why they don't come as standard is that demand for them is out of the roof so Michael can’t get the stock. The earliest availability for these to be put into the production of the scooter would be in 2023.

Charge Time

The NAMI Burn-e arrives with two chargers included.

Plugging them both in simultaneously will get your Viper fully juiced up in around 6 hours, while just one will do the job in 12.

While it’s not a key feature by any means, the location of the charging ports is the best that I’ve seen on any scooter.

Some scooters have their ports located on the side of the deck but these can become malformed and damaged as a result of curb sideswiping. Other scooters place the ports on the top of the deck – usually at the front. This method eliminates curb damage but does mean that they can become exposed to water damage from rainfall. If these types of ports don’t have tight water-proof seals they can be kicked off and ultimately suffer.

The Burn-e, on the other hand, conveniently places its two charging ports on the reinforced plate across the neck of the scooter. Not only does the placement move them out of the way of rogue foot placements but they also have water-proof seals. It’s small details like this that make a big difference.

Extra Features

Industry Leading Interface

As you’ll have seen by now, the NAMI Burn-e isn’t short on ‘wow’ factors. But perhaps the biggest rabbit Michael Sha has pulled out of the hat with the Viper’s design is in the superlative, superbly customizable interface located between the scooter’s handlebars.

Here’s where you can view, control, and personalize almost every kind of data point imaginable for your Viper. That includes everything, from the basic stuff – such as speed, riding mode, trip distance, and odometer – all the way to more elaborate insights, which I’ll get to in a hot minute.

Though the device is as big as most iPhones, it’s not a touchscreen. Instead, you’ll toggle your interface’s settings via a small pad of black buttons to the left-hand side of the handlebars. There are four buttons here: a plus sign, a minus sign, an ‘M’, and a power on/off button. By pressing the on/off button, you can begin cycling through the interface’s views, which include:

• Odometer (the total distance you’ve travelled on your Burn-e so far)
• A G-force readout, which shows you how many G’s you’re generating as you ride (crazy, I know)
• Battery voltage
• The amount of power your Viper’s using (average power consumption per 10 kilograms)
• The respective temperature of the front and rear motor

…and all this just by pressing one button.

Hitting that ‘M’ button toggles between the speed displays. You can view your Viper’s:

• Current speed
• Average speed
• Maximum speed

You can even use this button to view your Viper’s remaining range and get a sense of how long a ride you have ahead of you.

The plus and minus buttons flip you through the Viper’s quintet of riding modes, allowing you to select between three preset modes, with two ‘blank check’ modes for you to configure yourself. The Viper’s presets can be loosely summarized as follows:

• Eco – The Viper’s slowest mode tops out at around 20 mph. Ideal for when you’re still getting used to the full extent of this scooter’s capabilities.
• Drive – This mode caps at around 40 mph, and is a good intermediate mode as you start to build up your confidence and ride time on the Viper.
• Sport – Calling all speed fiends – this one's for you. This mode will allow you to reach speeds of around 55 mph.

Beyond all this, the Viper also has a range of P settings, which allow you to customize the scooter’s finer points to your personal preferences. The amount you can do here is insane, so I’ll try to be as brief as possible in explaining them all.

NAMI Burn-e: P Settings

To access the Viper’s multitude of P settings, double press the ‘M’ button, then push it once more. Now you can start to customize. Here’s what those ‘P’s mean for you:

Basic P-Settings:

P-Settings	Description
P1	You can select the rider mode you want to customize. It is recommended to leave the existing presets alone (Eco, Drive, and Sport), and instead, use the two spare riding modes to configure your preferred settings.
P2	Controls the brightness of the Viper’s central display.
P3	Set the exact window of time after which your Viper will automatically go into standby – you can toggle it to begin sleeping after anywhere between 1 and 30 minutes.
P4	Configures the units used (i.e. speed – mph/kmh, and range – miles/km).
P5	The battery’s voltage (this comes preset at 72, in accordance with the size of the Viper’s battery).
P6	Controls the number of magnets in the Viper’s motors. This comes preset at 30 (the right setting), and I’d recommend not tinkering with this one.
P7	Toggle between start modes. Selecting ‘0’ enables immediate acceleration, allowing you to move away speedily from a standing position. Picking ‘1’ will mean that you’ll have to push off with your foot to get your Viper moving before the motors kick in.
P8	Indicates the Viper’s tyre size. It comes set at 11 inches, which is correct – so I wouldn’t mess with this setting.
P9	Turn the Viper’s speed-regulated cruise control function on or off – I’ll unpack this in greater detail later in the review.
P10	Enables and disables the scooter’s yield information.
P11	Allows you to control how rapidly your scooter accelerates. You can adjust the maximum current of its dual controllers. This enables you to draw more power from the motors. As a note: 60 amps is the peak and you only get it for fast acceleration. The power drawn is also controlled by the temperature of the controllers – when they hit 100° C they drop down and self-regulate.
P12	Set the temperature at which your Viper’s motors switch to ‘Eco’ mode to prevent overheating. It is preset to 110° C.
P13	Lets you set the percentage of battery at which your Viper will automatically go into ‘Eco’ mode.
P14	Create a 4-digit password with which to unlock your scooter.

Advanced P-Settings:

Once you’re in the P-settings menu, double pressing the ‘M’ button gives you access to yet another layer of customizability – the Viper’s advanced P-settings.

P-Settings	Description
P1.1	This allows you to select the degree of acceleration for the rear motor. There are 5 levels of strength that range from slow to fast.
P1.2	Same as P1.1, but for the front motor.
P1.3	The amount of current that can be supplied to the rear motor. Based on a percentage where 100% is the maximum current.
P1.4	Same as P1.3, but for the front motor.
P1.5	Customize your top speed. Based on a percentage where 100% is the maximum 60 mph speed.
P1.6	Toggle the strength of the electric regenerative brake. There are 5 levels of strength that range from soft to hard braking.
P1.7	The big one. This setting is where you’ll access the Viper’s ‘Turbo’ feature. You can choose from between six levels starting from 0 through to 5. Selecting the latter will give you an exhilarating injection of 12% more power, to hit those tarmac-obliterating top speeds we know the Viper to be capable of. Note: Turbo is controlled by the temperature of the controllers and the percentage of the battery. It will switch off if the controllers are too hot or if the battery is too low. For more information on how to use Turbo – scroll further down the review.

Create Customized Riding Modes Based on Your Preferences

Most scooters tend to have riding modes that have preset thresholds that keep the scooter ticking over at predefined power and speed levels.

Not all scooters, however, allow you to customize these.

The NAMI Burn-e, of course, breaks the mould. In addition to having three preset modes – ’Eco’, ‘Drive’, and ‘Sport’ – you can also create two additional modes.

You can see the vast range of settings that you can change in our detailed guide to the P-Settings.

Two Very Powerful & Exclusively Designed Sine Wave 50Ah Controllers That Control the Acceleration Strength and Power of Each Motor Independently

Oh, boy – there’s nothing like the smell of two powerful Sine Wave 50Ah controllers in the morning.

Like the Viper’s patented lock taper stem folding mechanism, the Sine Wave controllers have been exclusively designed to help the Viper breach new frontiers of performance. What’s really exciting about them, though, is that they allow you to take control of each motor, independently from the other.

Simply click your way to setting P-Setting 11. Here, you can set your Viper’s maximum controller current, and tinker with the amount of power you’re able to pull from those formidable dual motors. 60 amps is the peak output, and you’ll only get this with the hardest levels of acceleration.

Of course, you won’t be accessing this amount of power all the time – after all, this is all dependent on the temperature levels of the controllers. If they get too hot, the self-regulating controllers will cool down, and temper the amount of power you’re using accordingly. Cleverly designed, the controllers are positioned outside of the battery component and attached to the base of the frame at the front of the scooter. This allows them to be air-cooled, meaning their placement acts as a heat sink.

Inject 12% More Power With Turbo Mode For Blistering Speed

As a confessed speed freak, this was always going to be one of my favourite features of the NAMI Burn-e.

Much like the ability of the VSETT 10+R and 11+ – which allow you to hit a button for a quick shot of ‘nitrous oxide’, a la the ‘Need for Speed’ video games – the Viper offers you the opportunity to boost your ride’s pace by 12%… for a limited time, at least.

To engage this fast, frenzied feature, simply hold down the plus button for a couple of seconds while in motion, and enjoy. Similar to when you’re in cruise control, a small red motor icon will pop up in the top right corner of the Viper’s screen, to tell you that the feature has been activated.

But what goes up must, of course, come down, and you won’t be able to maintain these dizzying speeds in perpetuity. This feature is, essentially, regulated by the temperature of the controllers, so as soon as they reach a certain heat, it will shut off. Whether you can access that sweet, swish 12% shot of speed will also depend on the level of your battery. If you don’t have enough juice in the tank, this little trick isn’t going to fly – and neither will you.

See How Much G-Force You Experience While Riding

Hit the on/off button several times and the Viper’s screen will flash up with a G-force readout. This feature, which shows how many G’s you’re pulling as you ride, probably isn’t the most indispensable function the Viper offers. However, it’s still a neat, fun little novelty – and it’s made even more so by the fact that you don’t see it on any other scooters.

Calculate Remaining Miles for Effective Range Management

Unlike other scooters – where you have to rely on a voltmeter or battery bars on a QS-S4/EY3 display screen to get an idea of how many miles your battery has left – the NAMI Burn-e gives you exact insights into your remaining range. This allows you to plan your ride and helps you figure out when it might be time to turn around and head home.

To access this feature, simply push the ‘M’ button to the left of the dashboard. Flick past your current, average, and maximum speed to arrive at the figure.

The only other scooter to do this is the Apollo Phantom. Plus, the general battery readout on the driver mode screen is accurate too.

Monitor the Condition of Your Scooter With Temperature and Power Readouts

One of the many things that amazes me about the Viper isn’t just that it offers up all kinds of insights unheard of in the rest of the high and ultra-performance scooter world. It’s that this data is available with just the push of a button.

Simply push the Viper’s on/off button to cycle through a range of settings. One of these causes the screen to flash up with readouts of the temperature of your scooter’s front and rear motors. This allows you to ensure that neither one overheats, and avoid potentially serious damage to your machine.*

Continuing to push that on/off button will eventually cycle you to a readout that shows the amount of power your Viper is consuming. Again, knowing this can help you avoid pushing your scooter beyond its limits, while also giving you a good indication as to how long you can remain at your current level of speed and acceleration.

*To help prevent overheating, I’d recommend heading to setting P12 to set the temperature at which your Viper’s motors switch to ‘Eco’ mode. If you live in a hot environment, this is even more pertinent, as it means your motors will be even more susceptible to overheating.

Speed Regulated Cruise Control

I think we’ve already established pretty comprehensively that the NAMI Burn-e isn’t like other scooters – so it’s no shock that it introduces a game-changing cruise control feature.

To activate it, simply get to the speed you wish to stay at, keep your thumb on the throttle, and then hold the minus button for a couple of seconds. Once you see the small cruise control icon flash up in the top left corner of the screen, you’re cruising.

What’s key here, however, is that – unlike many other performance scooters – you can adjust the speed of your cruise. Simply use those plus and minus buttons to increase or decrease the pace you’re travelling at without having to disengage and then reactivate cruise control.

It’s nothing short of genius. Plus, it is really simple to use – the placement of the ergonomic thumb throttle on the right and the minus button on the left makes it seamless.

Lock and Unlock the Scooter with a 4-Digit Password

I’ve already made one comment comparing the NAMI Burn-e’s central interface to an iPhone, but here’s another way in which the two are similar.

Navigating to setting P14 allows you to set a four-digit password, which you’ll need to unlock and mobilize your scooter each time you ride it. This is a super handy anti-theft function that easily trumps the NFC (near-field communication) reader of the VSETT line, and the key-lock immobilizer we see on some of the performance scooter industry’s leading models.

However, the jury’s still out as to whether or not this password feature steals the crown from the fingerprint scanner included as standard on the Dualtron X II (and available as an add-on extra with other models from MiniMotors). I’m a huge fan of biometrics, so it’d be great to see NAMI utilizing tech from this field on future models.

Hidden USB Charging Port

Located just out of sight under the Viper’s screen is a hidden USB charging port, which is ideal for charging your phone or other accessories while you’re out riding.

To activate it, keep the ‘M’ button to the left-hand side of the Viper’s handlebars depressed for around ten seconds. This will cause a USB icon to appear in the top left corner of the screen, which indicates that your Viper has begun outputting volts to the port and that it’s ready to start charging your devices on the go.

Super Bright 2000 Lumen Headlight, Mood Lighting, and Turn Signals

Frustratingly, a lot of the electric scooter market’s most expensive models come with lighting setups that aren’t powerful enough to offer full visibility at night. The NAMI Burn-e’s LEDs, however, firmly buck that trend. They offer some of the best illumination I’ve seen on a performance scooter, ever – period.

The Viper showcases a glaring, 2000 lumen headlight to guide your way at the front and responsive brake lights at the rear.

Running down the side of the deck is a strip of savvy LED lighting. Not only do these thin horizontal columns of white light afford you excellent visibility to other traffic when riding at night, but they also serve as turn signals. Simply activate the indicators with the switch to the right side of the handlebars, and a ripple of orange light will move along the deck.

However, the turn signals suffer from the same issue as the VSETT 11+ – their placement on the side of the deck makes them hard to see from the front and rear. This, ultimately, reduces their effectiveness. To the untrained eye, the ripple effect can be easily misunderstood as ‘'mood' lighting instead of its practical function.

An improvement here would be for the turn signals to wrap around the front and rear of the deck and flash.

Range of Stem Turning Motion is Locked to Prevent Accidents

This nifty safety feature – which you can also admire on some of VSETT’s models – prevents the handlebars from over-rotating and ‘locking up’.

Over-rotation can be very easy to do; especially when you try to navigate sharp and treacherous bends in the road. It can also cause serious personal injury and harm, which is why it’s a relief that Michael and the team at NAMI have included a small screw on the top of the section that connects the swingarm to the base of the stem. This small screw has been positioned so the steering column can’t exceed a set degree of rotation to the left or right.

Easily Adjustable KKE Hydraulic Coil-Over Shock Suspension System

As I alluded to above in the ‘Shock-Absorption/Suspension’ section, the NAMI Burn-e’s 165 mm KKE hydraulic coil-shocks are entirely customizable.

And, this feature – called ‘rebound adjustment’ – is surprisingly easy to toggle.

Located on each of the Viper’s coil-over-shocks is a small circular red dial. Simply turn it one way or the other to increase or decrease the damping of your Viper’s suspension. Softer suspension works better for off-road terrain – where you’ll be experiencing more ups and downs, and potentially attempting some stunts – while tuning the coil-shocks to a firmer setting will suit roads belonging to smoother, better-paved urban environments.

Multiple Water Resistance Ratings (IP55 & IP65)

Water-resistance ratings on electric scooter’s top-performing scooters are like buses. You wait forever for one… and then two show up at once.

Much to my pleasant surprise, the NAMI Burn-e has not one, but two water resistance ratings, IP55 and IP65.

An IP55 certification means that the Viper’s frame has passed tests with low-pressure water jets aimed at it from every direction. IP56 is the same, only with high-pressure jets. IP56 is the second-best level of water protection we see in the industry and is topped only by IP57. IP57 ratings indicate that a scooter is safeguarded from immersion at depths of between 15 cm and 1 meter.

It’s also worth mentioning here that none of the Dualtron range – the only brand to rival the Viper when it comes to specs, size, and features – boasts water-resistance ratings. So two, as you can imagine, is an absolute steal, and means you can feel confident taking the Viper out on a rainy day.

For clarity the scooter is protected as follows:

• Display – IP65
• Controllers – IP65
• Cabling – IP55
• Overall scooter- IP55

Motorcycle Grade Horn

You’ll find a button with a horn icon on it to the right-hand side of the handlebars.

This is (wait for it) the horn, which also happens to be of the same decibel level as those you’ll see on motorcycles. Exercise with caution – especially if there are pets or the elderly in the vicinity.

The horn is located below the neck of the scooter and at the front/underside of the deck.

Rear Tyre Hugger

With all the major features, specs, and pieces of innovation the NAMI Burn-e introduces, it’s refreshing to see that it doesn’t neglect the little things.

The back wheel is fitted with a simple (but highly effective) tyre hugger. This is a piece of hard-wearing reinforced plastic, attached over the Viper’s rear wheel, that protects you from slinging mud all over the back of your jacket.